Portrait Of A Robin

Spent a couple of hours in the hide this morning having got the day off work. There wasn't much about, a few Goldfinch and a Robin, although I did notice a Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbirds, Collared Doves and Starlings, all at the wrong end of the garden!

The forecast awful weather hasn't arrived yet but it does look like we'll be battening down the hatches over the weekend!

Paul.

Rodley Nature Reserve

Visited another new site today, Rodley Nature Reserve, near Pudsey, West Yorkshire. It's a fabulous place and we were blessed with a Kingfisher appearance straight away, but sadly no sunshine.

Debbie got better shots of the Kingfisher today, getting to be a regular occurrence this, it's seems she can with a Canon and I can't with a Nikon ;-)

See more of Debbie's pictures here.


Paul.

I and The Bird

Many thanks to Thomas at Walk In The Wilderness for including me in the latest edition of I and The Bird.

It's cracking post showcasing 66 bird watchers from around the world, well worth checking out!

Sandsend

We had a ride to Sandsend near Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast yesterday, didn't go looking for wildlife, I was after beach landscapes but it was hard to resist!

Black Headed Gull

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher

Oystercatchers

Black Headed Gull

Oystercatcher

Herring Gull

Even Debbie couldn't resist a spot of seabird stalking inbetween the black & white, beach and sky shots.

Thanks to Tony for the id - Great Black Backed Gull

Paul.

Mr Prickly

Had an hour or so in the hide both mornings over the weekend but didn't get anything worth posting, lack of light rather than a lack of birds.

While I wait for that moment when I'm in the hide at the same time as the birds are in the garden and sun is actually shining, I thought I'd post this shot of a Hedgehog I got a couple of weeks ago.

This morning as Debbie dropped me off for work, a Weasel shot across the road in front of us and then during a walk round the industrial estate I saw a Green Woodpecker fly over the Fire Station. I did have a look round to see where it went but couldn't see anything. I've not seen one that close before and was amazed at just how bright the green is or maybe it was a Jackdaw that had fallen in a pot of luminous paint.

Paul.

Park Springs & The Dearne Valley

There is more to the Dearne Valley area in Barnsley/Rotherham than just RSPB Old Moor as we found out on Saturday. The whole area is littered with ponds and lakes teeming with wildlife, we checked out two during the afternoon. First stop was at Park Springs which is a regenerated area of coal mining land just outside Grimethorpe (or Grimley if you've seen the film Brassed Off).

The pond/lake here is relitivley new but the number of ducks/geese/swans is execptional for such a small area and unlike the nearby RSPB resereve, you can get up close and personal with the wildlife.

Canada Geese

Park Springs

Mute Swan

Mute Swan

Mute Swan

Canada Goose

We watched a Kestrel for quite a while as it hovered in and around the reserve looking for lunch but it never came quite close enough or the right side of the sun for a decent shot. Another bird of prey also apeared high in the sky, can't be at sure what this was, could possibly have been the Kestrel again but it was much higher and never hovered.

Next on to a lake I've never been to which is in the Manvers area of the Dearne Valley and is right next door to Old Moor, here the wildlife is a little more spread out but the area is lovely to walk round on a hot sunny day. We watch a pair of raptors soaring high in the sky here too, again not close enough for a decent shot but they did have different markings to the high flyer at Park Springs. I'm think these could well have been Buzzards.

Dearne Valley

Dearne Valley

Juvenile Great Crested Grebes

Great Crested Grebe

More images here by Debbie, even a rare shot of the Little Brown Job himself! Back to work now but we've had a brilliant two weeks birdwatching!

Paul.

RSPB Fairburn Ings

We payed a visit to RSPB Fairburn Ings yesterday, I've not been for years and was looking forward to seeing a good variety of birds. The morning was spent on an organised Kingfisher walk during which we managed to catch a glimpse of a splash of blue and orange whizzing through the air.

However, during the afternoon, now knowing where the Kingfisher hot spots were, we had a couple of wonderful encounters as well as taking in the rest of the Fairburn wildlife.

Blue Tits

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

Tit (But which one, Coal, Marsh or Willow?)

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Chaffinch

Dunnock

Squirrel

Kestrel

Chaffinch

Black Swan

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Rabbit

Robin

Bullfinch

Debbie did really well with the 300mm lens, the teleconverter nearly ended up in the lake out of frustration (I couldn't master the manual focus either) but looking at these shots, I don't think the converter was missed!

Paul.